Traverse drapery hanger



rass 3,044,104 TRAVERE DRAPERY HANGER Bruno Walz, 35141 Division Ave, Richmond, Mich. Filed Dec. 1, 1959, Ser. No. 856,468 1 Claim. ((31. 16-8745) This invention relates to the traverse mounting of ourtains or draperies, and more particularly to an elongated formed tubular channel track within which are movably mounted a series of pairs of wheels, each pair having an integral axle, with hanging means depending from each axle movably positioned through a slot in said track for movably supporting curtains or draperies.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel curtain or drapery hanging track within which are slidably mounted With a minimum of friction, a plurality of pairs of rollers, which ride along the interior of the track, each pair provided with hanging means, whereby longitudinally spaced top edge portions of a curtain or drapery may be movably suspended from the respective rollers.

It is a further object to provide a novel formed tubular track assembly onto which an additional track of corresponding shape may be telescopically mounted to ren der the track extensible to the length of the particular opening within which it is to be mounted.

It is another object to provide suitable brackets for supportably mounting said tracks adjacent a ceiling or the top of an opening across which curtains or drapery are to be slidably mounted.

It is another object to provide a curtain or drapery mounting track made as an extrusion from plastic or aluminum or other extrudable metal.

These and other objects will be seen from the following specification and claim in conjunction with the appended drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, partially sectioned, side elevational view of a portion of the present curtain and drapery hanging track in telescoping relation with a similarly shaped track, said tracks being on a larger than normal scale.

FIG. 2 is a section taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a bracket assembly for mounting a pair of said tracks upon a wall or other support.

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of another form of bracket for mounting a pair of tracks upon the ceiling or other support, and showing the track at its normal full scale.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal section of a portion of a present curtain and drapery mounting track assembly showing a plurality of rollers in position and retained within the said track.

FIG. 6 is an elevational view of an extruded form of curtain and drapery track assembly.

It will be understood that the above drawing illustrates merely a preferred embodiment of the invention and that other embodiments are contemplated within the scope of the claims hereinafter set forth.

Referring to the drawing, the present curtain or drapery hanging track is generally indicated at 11 in FIGSfl and 2, and includes a pair of elongated transversely concave and arcuate tracks 12, spaced apart as at 13, and including elongated outer bottom wall elements 14 which terminate in the upright elongated opposing and spaced sidewalls 15. The elongated horizontally disposed top wall 16, spans said sidewalls and includes at the longitudinal outer corners thereof the outwardly formed continuous beading 17.

There is generally indicated at 18, FIGS. 1 and 2, the similarly formed track of slightly increased dimensions so as to slidably receive the first-mentioned tubular chan- 3,044,104 Patented July 1 7, 1962 nel v11 to thus provide a telescopic connection for regulating the length of the tubular channel to fit the particular window opening or other opening across which drapery or curtains may be movably suspended in a conventional traverse fashion.

It is noted from FIG. 2 that the tracks 12 are spaced inwardly from the opposing sidewalls 1'5 and said tracks are centrally spaced apart defining the elongated slot 13, to loosely and slidably receive the upright U-shaped curtain or drapery mounting hook 23, hereafter described.

A pair of spaced wheels 20 having an outer surface corresponding to the shape of tracks 12, includes the integral axle 22. A series of such pairs of Wheels are movably mounted within channel 1118 upon the respective tracks 12 and are spaced inwardly of sidewalls 15 as shown in FIG. 2. Each of the wheels 20 includes upon its interior surface the circular spacer disc 21, which merges in the integral axle 22 of reduced diameter. The wheel assembly including elements 20, 21 and 22 is a one-piece unit normally made on a screw machine or lathe and is capable of mass production. The roller unit, generally indicated at 19, is preferably metallic and is formed in one piece as a solid element and has sufficient mass as to be movably mounted upon tracks 12 and to roll therealong with a very minimum of friction. A series of these roller mountings are indicated in FIG. 5, within the channel track 11.

There are provided a series of U-shaped hooks '23, for each of the aforesaid roller assemblies 19, with each hook arranged in upright position loosely within the elongated slot 113, and normally lying within the general vertical plane of the curtains or draperies to be movably suspended from the track. The upper end portion of the hook 23 is movably positioned within the aforesaid slot 13, and as shown in FIG. 1 at one end extends angularly upward at 24, terminating in the reverse curved holder 25, which loosely and retainingly engages around axle 22 as at 26, and is secured thereon for movement therewith. The axle is in effect loosely journaled within the top of each hook.

The above described spacer discs 21 thus serve to centrally space the upper portion 25 of hanger 23 centrally of wheels 20 and centrally of slot 13 to avoid or minimize frictional contact with tracks 12.

A portion of track 11 as it is used is shown in FIG. 5. A series of roller elements 19 are positioned within channel 11, which is of a formed or rolled tubular construction. Said roller assemblies are movably mounted upon spaced tracks 12, with hooks 23 depending centrally between said tracks for supporting engagement with longitudinally spaced portions of the drapery to be movably suspended.

A first roller assembly is positioned at one end of the track adjacent upright end wall 27 and is normally anchored in this position against longitudinal movement.

by the flexible removable plug 29, manually projected up into and through opening 28 in the bottom of the channel. Opposing wall portions of plug 29 are undercut at 32 for cooperative retaining engagement with portions of the track adjacent opening 28. Plug 29 is transversely slotted at 30. Semi-circularly shaped portions 32 on the bottom of the plug provide a means of collapsing its walls inwardly for removal of the plug when desired. Opening 28' is used for introducing the roller elements 19 within track 11.

The first mentioned roller at the left end of the track in FIG. 5 is thus anchored at one side of the traverse curtain or drapery, whereas the remainder of the traverse curtain or drapery is adapted for longitudinal adjustments in a conventional manner, movably supported by the series of roller elements 19 within channel 11.

I It is "contemplated that a plurality of the said tubular channel tracks may be employed as shown in FIG. 3 at 11. These tracks may be rolled, formed of metal, cast or extruded in metal or in plastic. A suitable metal for this purpose is aluminum.

' In FIG. 3 there is shown a suitable mounting bracket 33,

.of which a plurality would be employed for suspending upper spaced portions of the respective tracks 11. For

this purpose bracket 33 includes the bent down pairs of retaining plates 34 which extend inwardly toward each other for cooperating supporting and retaining engagement with the beads 17 upon the opposite edges of the respective track. Securing fastener 35 is threaded down through bracket 33 and operatively engages the top wall 16 of the track for tightly securing said track in the assembled position shown. Bracket 33 terminates in the upright support 37 with reinforcing web 38 interposed 'and receives "fasteners 39 for securing to a wall, for illustration.

A slight variation of bracket assembly is shown in FIG. 4, wherein the elongated bracket body 40 is secured to the ceiling or other horizontal support by a series of fasteners 41. Here also are provided pairs of downward- 'ly and inwardly extending track supporting members 42, .which supportably and retainingly engage the beads 17 on opposite sides of the track'channel, for fixedly securing said channel against the undersurface of said bracket, of which several would be employed. The additional securing screws 35 shown in FIG. 3 may be employed, if

.desired for drawing up and tightening the assembly of the respective channel with respect to the supporting members 42;

a The channel formation 11, shown in FIG. 4 represents full scale as the product is used, the FIGS. 1 and 2 being enlarged for illustration only.

A slight variation of the invention is shown in FIG. 6 wherein the track formation is in the nature of an ex-. trusion from plastic material or a suitable metal, such as aluminum.

The track assembly generally indicated at 43 includes a pair of elongated curtain or drapery mounting track channels generally indicated at 44 with-interior spaced upright walls 45.

For each channel, there are a pair of longitudinally ex- 4 a tending transversely arcuate tracks 47, centrally spaced apart at 48 and at their outer longitudinal edges terminating in the bottom Wall portion 46, which merge with the outer sidewalls of the respective channels.

The operation is the same as above described in that a series ofroller elements, such as indicated at 19 in FIG. 2, are movably positioned within the respective tracks, with each roller carrying and suspending therefrom a hook bracket arrangement, as at 232425, FIG. 1.

The present assembly is such that the curtain or drapery is mounted with such slight friction that the slightest amount of moving force is all that is necessary for transversing the unanchored portion of the drapery or curtain as desired.

Having described my invention, reference should now be had to the claim which follows.

I claim:

In a traverse curtain or drapery hanger, an elongated formed tubular channel including sidewalls, a horizontal topwall, and bottomwall members terminating respective- I ly in a pair of elongated transversely concave tracks, each spaced inwardly from a corresponding sidewall and centrally spaced apart defining an elongated slot, an upright endwall on said channel, there being a transverse aperture through said bottom wall members inwardly of said endwall adapted for introducing a wheel and hook assembly thereinto, and a flexible plug projected up into said opening and retainingly engaging said bottom wall members for closing said opening and adapted for anchoring one of said wheel and hook assemblies adjacent said end wall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

